The Full Belmonte, 5/5/2022
An aerial view of smoke and flames at the Azovstal steel plant yesterday in Mariupol, Ukraine.
“Heavy ‘bloody battles’ are now unfolding at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, a Ukrainian commander said. Russian forces have breached the perimeter and there was ‘non-stop shelling and assault’ overnight. Despite efforts to evacuate civilians trapped in the sprawling complex, hundreds remain, including about 30 children. Until recently, Azovstal was a major player on the global stage, producing 4 million tons of steel annually. But now, at least 150 employees have been killed and thousands remain unaccounted for, said Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of Metinvest Holding, which owns the plant. The Russian Ministry of Defense says it expects to open evacuation corridors for civilians out of the plant starting today but it is unclear how many civilians trapped inside the plant will be able to leave.” Read more at CNN
“The Federal Reserve is raising interest rates by a half-percentage point to get a handle on the worst inflation America has seen in 40 years. It's the first time in 22 years that the central bank has hiked rates this much. Americans will experience this policy shift through higher borrowing costs: That means higher interest costs for mortgages, home equity lines of credit, credit cards, student debt and car loans. Business loans will also get pricier, for businesses large and small. The interest rate hike was unanimous, with all 12 members of the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee agreeing on it. In March, the Fed ramped up its benchmark borrowing rate for the first time since late 2018, increasing it by a quarter-percentage point.” Read more at CNN
“Clinics in states likely to maintain access to abortion procedures are preparing for a potential influx of out-of-state patients following the report of a leaked draft of a Supreme Court majority opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. ‘This is a devastating blow for millions of people who will find themselves in a vast abortion desert,’ said Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. In the draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, conservative Justice Samuel Alito tries to make clear it should not necessarily impact other decisions, such as the right to marry a person of a different race or the same sex and the right to contraception. But opponents say Alito's attempt to wall off abortion from everything else raises several questions and legal challenges.” Read more at CNN
“Millions of people in more than half of U.S. states would lose access to abortion should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, which they seem poised to do according to a leaked draft opinion. But the decision doesn't just have consequences in the U.S.: human rights advocates say it could weaken reproductive rights worldwide.” Read more at NPR
Associated Press
“Donald Trump’s oldest son has met with the congressional committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The interview Tuesday with Donald Trump Jr comes as the bipartisan House committee moves closer to the former president’s inner circle of family members and political advisers.
The younger Trump is of likely interest to the committee because of his proximity to his father on the day of the riot. Donald Trump Jr was seen backstage at the rally on the White House Ellipse that took place shortly before supporters of the then-president marched to the Capitol and breached the building.
“A representative of comedian Dave Chappelle released a statement regarding an audience member who attacked him Tuesday night while Chappelle was performing at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. ‘As unfortunate and unsettling as the incident was, Chappelle went on with the show,’ Carla Sims, Chappelle's representative, said in a statement to CNN. ‘Jamie Foxx and Chris Rock helped calm the crowd with humor before Chappelle introduced the last and featured musical guests for the evening.’ The man who tackled Chappelle has been identified as 23-year-old Isaiah Lee. He had a knife and is in custody, police said. The motive of the apparent attack remains unclear.” Read more at CNN
“Investigators suspect a missing Alabama corrections officer and a murder suspect had a romantic relationshipore they both disappeared last week, according to Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton. The pair went missing Friday after Vicky White, 56, said she was taking the inmate, Casey White, 38, to the courthouse and was planning to seek medical attention because she wasn't feeling well. But the two never arrived at the courthouse. And Vicky White didn't make it to the medical facility. Vicky White is now the subject of an active arrest warrant for allegedly permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree, the sheriff said. Records also show Vicky White had made major financial moves in the weeks leading up to the escape -- including selling her home days before she disappeared for a price well below market value.” Read more at CNN
“The latest COVID-19 wave in the U.S. could give us a glimpse into what life could be like when the virus becomes endemic, according to a former COVID-19 adviser to Biden. The endemic phase wouldn't mean that everyone is safe and no more people are dying, but that the virus would be much more predictable.” Read more at NPR
“Gasoline prices are poised to become even more volatile as the EU proposes a ban on oil imports on Russia as part of new sanctions against the country for its invasion of Ukraine. Here's what we can expect to happen to global oil markets and gas prices if the proposal passes.” Read more at NPR